The invention relates to establishing a connection between two cable support device elements with overlapping connection sections for the formation of a cable support system with at least one connecting element attaching the two cable support device elements together. The invention further relates to a connecting element for establishing a mechanical connection between two cable support device elements disposed with overlapping connection sections for the formation of a cable support system.
Cable support device elements include cable ducting, cable channels, cable conduits or the like where several individual elements are combined to form a cable support or cable guidance system. A cable support system formed by combining several cable support device elements without tools and bolts is disclosed in DE 198 41 643 A1. These known cable support device elements have a connection section at both ends with complementary mechanical connection members. The connection section of these known cable support device elements is formed by crimping the lateral cross-pieces, slightly enlarging the interior space, as well as of the bottom unit, while the other connection section is not crimped. Mechanical connecting members serve as snaps and latch recesses, on the one hand, and snaps and latches as complementary members, on the other hand. This known cable support device element is made from sheet metal with the snap and latch recesses as punch-outs and the snap and latch are outformings, reshaped notchings, clips or the like.
The prior art individual cable support device elements can be connected to one another without tools. However the development of the necessary connection members, such as outformings, notchings and the like, require significant technical expenditures. Additionally, for the intended connection of two cable support device elements, a certain material elasticity is assumed. However, not every cable support device element has a sufficient degree of material elasticity.
Bolts are also applied as connection elements to connect two cable support device elements with one another. This type of cable support device elements does not need any further connection members to be attached together, with the exception of the necessary breakthroughs for inserting the bolts. Such cable support device elements are therefore less expensive to produce. However, the connection of two cable support device elements of this type requires tools.
Cable support systems serve primarily for supporting cables. Cable support systems installed in buildings often have requirements beyond a pure support function. The individual cable support device elements of a metal cable support system often must be permanently connected in an electrically conducting manner with an equipotential bond. To ensure the intended electrical contacts in known cable support device elements, the adjoining cable support device elements are connected with bolts. While this is possible, it has the disadvantage that the meaning and purpose of bolt-less cable support systems, such as disclosed in DE 198 41 643 A1, are lost. In this known prior art, two sheet metal cable support device elements that are connected together have overlapping connection sections. However, electric contacts are left to chance due to the necessary tolerances for realizing the snap and latch connections. Therefore, bolts are additionally employed to bolt-connect the lateral cross-pieces in the region of the overlapping connection sections or with an additional bottom connector bolt-connected to the two adjoining bottoms.
These additional bolt connection of two cable support device elements is particularly necessary when the cable support system formed of several cable support device elements has a grounding conductor function for diverting short circuit currents. In this case, the adjoining cable support device elements must be connected together with the necessary contact area to be electrically conducting to allow the transmission of the short circuit current.
Even if the known cable support device element that can be connected tool-free and bolt-free establish a connection between two cable support device elements that may be sufficient for equipotential bonding, these known elements have the disadvantage that additional mounting steps must be carried out to establish the necessary electrical connection for the diversion of a short circuit of two adjoining cable support device elements. In particular, these additional steps are ones in which tools are required such as for tightening bolts.
The foregoing example of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.
Building on this discussed prior art, the invention addresses the problem of providing an arrangement with which the tool-free connection of two cable support device elements is possible without this connecting having a disadvantageous effect on the production process for the production of the individual cable support device elements, and with which a permanent electrical connection, corresponding to the requirements, of two cable support device elements is also possible.